MERRY CHRISTMAS
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JOY
JOY entered our world one
dark night in the town of Bethlehem. The place it appeared was not where you would
have expected to find it. JOY came to a
lowly stable with its assortment of barnyard animals. It was JOY that filled a mother’s heart as
she held the blessed Babe in her arms for the first time. She knew this child was like no other. In awe she held him close and praised the God
who had fulfilled His promise to all people.
It
was JOY the angels sang to the shepherds out on the hills as they tended their
sheep. And it was JOY the shepherds felt
as they knelt before this newborn King and acknowledged His arrival. That night, so long ago, released a newfound
JOY into the earthly realm. Though some
would never notice its arrival, others would reach out to know this Savior and they
would find the JOY that He gives to all who ask. JOY, it is such a beautiful word to describe
the presence of Jesus Christ, to a world that needs Him so much.
JOY,
real joy, is here today. It is JOY we
receive, when we behold this same Jesus, as we embrace all that He offers us
each day.
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HOPE
What
comes to mind when you think of HOPE? Is
HOPE what makes the future bright, or helps you with the struggles of the day? We see the face of HOPE in the
smile of a baby looking up at its mother.
HOPE is a bill that gets paid when it didn’t seem possible. There is HOPE in a sunrise with its promise
of a new beginning. We find HOPE in
the smallest blessing that is ours each day.
The presence of HOPE often parallels the shadows of our steps.
If we were to search for HOPE’s place of origin, I
believe it would lead us on a journey back through time, to the ancient Garden
of Eden. There we would see a young
couple distressed with their newfound awareness of personal guilt, a burden of
fear and sadness. But next to them we
would see God speaking words of comfort as He unveils a reason for them to
persevere. Then, we would see it, HOPE,
in the form of a promise, a promise to be fulfilled in the birth of the Lord
Jesus, the Savior of the world.
Yes,
it is God, Who gives us a reason to HOPE.
If we look at the blessings which are hidden in our days, we will find God. In finding Him, we receive, HOPE. HOPE speaks to the future and says, each
day has its purpose, each heartache its comfort, and each gift, its Giver.
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PEACE
PEACE is what everyone wants
but so few have. We all know that it’s
not possible to buy PEACE. There
are times when we experience it for momentary seconds. All too quickly it fades away. PEACE is illusive it seems. I’m glad to say, PEACE is something you
know when it is yours. In the knowing of
PEACE, you are able to understand the difference between a life with peace, in contrast to the way it
used to be. It is like a riddle one
cannot solve until it becomes your own reality.
What
does PEACE look like? Why do we
associate PEACE with Christmas and the Baby Jesus? The answer is simple but hard for us to
grasp. It is found in the purpose of this
sweet Baby’s life. He was God and He was
man. When His mission on earth
was accomplished, His innocent blood was shed as He hung on that tree. For you see, it was not easy for Him to purchase
our PEACE, but He didn’t hesitate. Through
His death He claimed victory over all that haunts us. Through His resurrection He could offer us the PEACE that forgiveness and newness bring.
Jesus Christ is the true source of PEACE. It is like this; we do not have to feel empty
anymore. We don’t have to keep trying
and striving, buying and doing in the endless pursuit of happiness and
fulfillment, purpose and meaning. Rather,
real PEACE is just that. PEACE, is contentment of the deepest kind.
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LOVE
The Christmas Story is a
story of LOVE. LOVE is something we all
need and want. LOVE has many wonderful
traits, the most notable of these is that LOVE is unselfish in nature. LOVE desires the best for the one it loves. We find that LOVE will not change with the
untidy circumstances of life. True LOVE
always stays in character.
The
gift of LOVE is evident in the simple story of the birth of Jesus Christ. He came because of His LOVE for me, for you,
for the murderer and for the priest, for the millionaire and for the gangster,
for the unloveable and the loveable. In
His LOVE there is no discrimination, no bias, and no rejection. Everyone is wanted, and all are seen as worth
it! Yes, Jesus’ LOVE is amazing.
Do
you think we deserve His LOVE? The
answer can be found in how He views His children. The Savior transmits His worth to us. And in so doing, we are transformed in His
sight. Jesus’ LOVE sees us as precious
jewels shimmering on a satin cloth of royal blue, set apart as rare and priceless
gems. He sees what we will become when He, the Master
Stonecutter, has brought out our inner beauty, as we reflect the precision
and wisdom of the Master’s touch. This
is His LOVE gift to us.
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JESUS
These four blessings, the
blessings of LOVE, JOY, PEACE, and HOPE, can be likened to strands in a rope that
when wrapped together as twine become something strong and mighty. The rope’s strength and power is derived from
its source, a material that is like no other. In our lives, what is that source? The Source is JESUS, Who came to this
world as a little infant in swaddling clothes. Who was
and is the foundation of all these
wonderful blessings. JESUS, came to
offer us HOPE to help us each day. He
came to give us PEACE to calm our hearts.
But JESUS did not stop there; He said that if we surrender and rest in
Him, we will know abundant JOY and
the fulfilling of our heart’s desire.
JESUS, through the sacrifice of His own life, is able to extend grace to
us with a redeeming LOVE. Only JESUS and
His HEAVENLY FATHER could write the CHRISTMAS story that we celebrate
today.
Through these words connected with the first Christmas story, I hope you
have turned your gaze toward Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and have seen
Him in His glory and His majesty.
To God be
the Glory.
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| JOY . HOPE . LOVE . PEACE |
Norma L. Brumbaugh
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